Bikeshare to Come to Santa Cruz County, CA, 2023-4

Six jurisdictions have agreed to bring a regional electric bikeshare system to Santa Cruz County. These jurisdictions include the City of Santa Cruz, the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), the City of Capitola, Cabrillo College, the City of Watsonville, and the County of Santa Cruz itself. BCycle will serve as the vendor for this bikeshare system and will finance all the capital costs associated with the program.

The partner jurisdictions plan to implement this new bikeshare system across two phases. In June 2023, the bikeshare system will launch in just the City of Santa Cruz and at the UCSC campus. During this period, there will be a fleet of about 400 e-bikes and 800 docks. The second implementation phase will see an expansion of the formal service area to Capitola, Watsonville, Cabrillo College, and unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County in early 2024. Once this expansion is complete, there will be an expected fleet of about 660 e-bikes and 1,320 docks. Trips must start and end at any of the systems’ docks. Customers can access the e-bikes using the BCycle mobile app or with a proximity card if they do not own a smartphone and can pay for the service by the ride or with monthly or annual memberships.

All partner jurisdictions hope that implementing a countywide bikeshare system can help the communities meet their goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while expanding mobility choices. While many small and rural communities have implemented bikeshare programs, this partnership across six jurisdictions indicates a willingness to make bikeshare a regional transportation effort. This partnership can serve as a model to peer communities across the United States.

Last updated March 8, 2023